The Zahle town of Qob Elias witnessed a state of tension on Monday, after a man identified as M. Y. shot dead two other men identified as “Khalil al-Qattan” and “Talal Hamid al-Awad”.
Following search operation, a security forces patrol managed to arrest the 24-year-old shooter, who was accompanied by Q. M., another Lebanese citizen. The gun used in the crime was seized as well as the vehicle they were driving.
Relatives of the victims destroyed shops owned by the family of the shooter, forcing a patrol from the LAF intelligence of the Bekaa to open fire in the air in order to separate them.
While the causes of the incident have not yet been identified, sources reported that the shooter got out of his vehicle and asked Khalil and Talal “for a cup of Nescafe” before opening fire.
Khalil and Talal own a coffee van, and sell Nescafe and coffee near the vegetables market located on Qob Elias highway.